#THE INFLAMMABLE SUBSTANCES ACT, 1952 
________ 

##ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS 
________ 

SECTIONS 

1. Short title. 
2. Definitions. 
3. Declaration of certain substances to be dangerously inflammable. 
4. Power to apply Petroleum Act to dangerously inflammable substances. 
5. Operation of certain notifications and rules. 
6. Validation of certain acts and indemnity in respect thereof. 
7. [Repealed.] 



#THE INFLAMMABLE SUBSTANCES ACT, 1952 

##ACT No. 20 OF 1952 

[6th March, 1952.] 

An  Act  to  declare  certain  substances  to  be  dangerously  inflammable  and  to  provide  for  the 
  regulation  of  their  import,  transport,  storage  and  production  by  applying  thereto  the 
  Petroleum Act, 1934, and the rules thereunder, and for certain matters connected with such 
  regulation. 

BE it enacted by Parliament as follows:— 

1. **Short title.**—This Act may be called the Inflammable Substances Act, 1952. 

2. **Definitions.**—In this Act,— 

  (a) “dangerously  inflammable  substance”  means  any  liquid  or  other  substance  declared  to  be 
dangerously inflammable by this Act; 

  (b) “Petroleum Act” means the Petroleum Act, 1934 (30 of 1934). 

3. **Declaration of certain substances to be dangerously inflammable.**—The  liquids  and  other 
substances hereinafter mentioned, namely:— 

  (1) acetone, 

  (2) calcium phosphide, 

  (3) carbide of calcium, 

  (4) cinematograph films having a nitro-cellulose base, 

  (5) ethyl alcohol, 

  (6) methyl alcohol, 

  (7) wood naphtha, 

are hereby declared to be dangerously inflammable. 

4. **Power to apply Petroleum Act to dangerously inflammable substances.**—(1)  The  Central 
Government  may,  by  notification  in  the  Official  Gazette,  apply  any  or  all  of  the  provisions  of  the 
Petroleum  Act  and  of  the  rules  made  thereunder,  with  such  modifications  as  it  may  specify,  to  any 
dangerously inflammable substance, and thereupon the provisions so applied shall have effect as if such 
substance had been included in the definition of “petroleum” under that Act. 

(2) The Central Government may make rules providing specially for the testing of any dangerously 
inflammable  substance  to  which  any  of  the  provisions  of  the  Petroleum  Act  have  been  applied  by 
notification under sub-section (1), and such rules may supplement any of the provisions of Chapter II of 
that Act in order to adapt them to the special needs of such tests. 

5. **Operation of certain notifications and rules.**—Notifications or rules issued or purporting to have 
been issued under section 30 of the Petroleum  Act between the 1st day of April, 1937, and the date of 
commencement of this Act shall be deemed to have been issued or made under this Act, and continue in 
force accordingly. 

6. **Validation of certain acts and indemnity in respect thereof.**—All  acts of  executive  authority, 
proceedings and sentences which have been done, taken or passed with respect to, or on account of, any 
inflammable substance since the 1st day of April, 1937, and before the commencement of this Act by any 
officer of Government or by any person acting under his authority or otherwise in pursuance of an order 
of  the  Government  in  the  belief  or  purported  belief  that  the  acts,  proceedings  or  sentences  were  being 
done, taken or passed under the Petroleum Act shall be as valid and operative as if they had been done, 
taken  or  passed  in  accordance  with  law;  and  no  suit  or  other  legal  proceeding  shall  be  maintained  or 
continued against any person whatever on the ground that any such acts, proceedings or sentences were 
not done, taken or passed in accordance with law. 

7. *[Repeal of section 30, Act 30 of 1934.] Rep. by the Repealing and Amending Act,*  1957 
(36 of 1957), s. 2 *and the First Schedule (w.e.f.* 17-9-1957.)